'About half of slums reported no change in basic amenities during 5 years preceding 2012'

Almost half of slums in India witnessed no improvement in basic amenities like washrooms, drainage, power, health, primary education and sewage during five years preceding 2012, a government survey said.

New Delhi: Almost half of slums in India witnessed no improvement in basic amenities like washrooms, drainage, power, health, primary education and sewage during five years preceding 2012, a government survey said.

"47 per cent of slums reported that there had been no change in the condition of latrine facilities during the last five years," the National Sample Survey report on slums in the country said.

However, the survey, conducted during July-December 2012, said that improvement in latrine facilities was reported by 32 per cent of slums. In 17 per cent of slums, latrine facilities were reported as non-existent now as well as 5 years earlier.

Similarly it found that there is no change in condition of drainage facilities during the last 5 years in 47 per cent of slums. However, improvement was reported by 33 per cent of all slums, the proportion being 40 per cent for notified slums and 29 per cent for non-notified slums.

In an estimated 17 per cent of all urban slums, drainage facilities did not exist either 5 years earlier, or on the date of survey. However, very few slums in any state reported deterioration in drainage facilities.

About 50 per cent of slums in urban areas reported that no change in sewerage facilities had taken place during the last 5 years. In another 26 per cent of slums, sewerage facilities did not exist now or 5 years ago.

However improvement was reported by 22 per cent of all slums. These included 36 per cent of slums in the million-plus cities and 15 per cent in other urban areas.

As much as 34 per cent of slums reported that garbage disposal facilities had improved over the past 5 years. In about 50 per cent of slums, no change in the facilities had occurred during the last 5 years.

About 14 per cent of all slums in urban India including 20 per cent of non-notified slums reported that they had no garbage disposal facilities, either at present or 5 years ago.

Improvement in education facility at primary level during the last 5 years was reported by 30 per cent of all slums, and no change by 57 per cent, with 11 per cent reporting that the facility did not exist now or 5 years ago.

Such improvement in education facility was somewhat less common in the million-plus cities than in the other urban areas.

The report is based on information collected during July-December 2012 from 881 slums in 3832 urban blocks spread over the entire urban area of the country.

An estimated 8.8 million households lived in these slums, about 5.6 million in notified and 3.2 million in non-notified slums.